Financial Controller

Morgan Latif is a specialist leadership search & development consultancy. We partner with clients across the Medical & Dental Technology, Packaging, Consumer, E-mobility, and Industrial Technology sectors to support their transformation and diversity objectives. Our mission is to combine traditional recruitment and coaching methodologies with innovative technology to deliver tailored solutions to both clients and candidates.

Morgan Latif has been exclusively retained by a global paper and packaging client to appoint a Plant Financial Controller for its Kaukauna, Wisconsin site.

The company is the global leader in fibre-based specialty materials and employs around 7,000 people across 37 production facilities in 13 countries, with net sales of €3.0 billion.

Kaukauna is one of the group's significant North American operations: approximately $350 million in revenue, around 550 people, and five paper machines serving specialty markets.

This is the senior finance seat at that site. The Plant Financial Controller owns financial management and control of the mill, leads a team of two cost accountants, and sits on the plant leadership team as the trusted financial advisor to the Plant Manager and his peers. The role requires a commercially minded controller who is visible across the plant and credible on the floor, meaning someone who influences operational decisions.

The role carries genuine autonomy and scope.

• Lead planning, forecasting, budgeting and month-end close reporting for the plant.
• Calculate profitability analysis and standard product costs.
• Ensure inventory accuracy and manage regular audits, including the routine annual external audit.
• Lead and develop a team of two cost accountants.
• Provide analytical and commercial support to the operations team as a genuine business partner.
• Ensure the accuracy of the plant scorecard and other relevant KPIs.
• Identify cost saving opportunities and work with operations to implement continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support the wider team with financial data, explaining financial concepts clearly to colleagues outside of finance.
• Provide investment analysis, including actual pay-back review of closed projects against the original business case.
• Coordinate with the global Business Unit team on key objectives.

• The role will be based onsite in Kaukauna, Wisconsin - 5 days on site. No travel is required.

• Experience: Five years or more in cost accounting and standard costing within a manufacturing business, with existing experience as a controller or site finance lead. The previous plant/operation may have been smaller than this one - the step up in scale is part of the opportunity.
• Industry: Sector agnostic. A paper or pulp background is not required; any process manufacturing environment is relevant.
• Systems: ERP proficiency (JD Edwards preferred), HFM, strong Excel and general IT capability.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in business, economics, accounting or equivalent.
• Preferred: Prior audit experience; experience of a team-based environment.